Internal-combustion engine.



BATENTED www, 1905.

W. E. CLIFTON.

INTERNAL COMBUS'IION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28,1904.

III-D UNITED STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,119, dated June 13, 1905.

Application filed March 28, 1904. Serial No. 200,378-

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM ERNEST OLIE- ',roN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Nottingham, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal-combustion engines, and refers more particularly to improvements in what are known as twostrokecycle engines-that is, engines in which the cycle of operation is repeated every two strokes.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a cylinder of a vertical engine constructed according to my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are corresponding views showing the piston in different positions. Fig. 4 is a side view showing the piston-rods.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

According to this invention the cylinder is provided with an inlet or suction valve at one end and an exhaust-outlet at the other end, and a compression-chamber is provided in connection with or partly formed by the piston itself. The charge drawn in on the compression or suction-valve side of the piston is compressed into the compression-chamber referred to and is then transferred by it to the other end of the cylinder and delivered on the ignition or exhaust-valve side of the pistion and there ignited.

As shown in the drawings, two pistons A and B are employed, the former, A, being' connected to the crank in the usual manner, while the latter, B, is connected to A, but has a movement relatively to the same, preferably against the action of a spring or springs.

A charge is drawn in above or on the compression side of the piston A every down or in stroke. On compression the charge passes through a passage A in the piston A and is then trapped between the two pistons and transferred by them to the lower end of the cylinder, where it is delivered below or on the ignition side of the other piston B and ignited.

The piston B is preferably made in the form of a hollow cylindrical casing and works in the main cylinder O, while the piston A fits within the hollow piston B, as shown.

Both ends of the cylinder C are closed 'by end covers O O2, and the piston A is connected to the connecting-rod D by a hollow piston-rod A2, which is carried through a stuffing-box O3 in the cover O. The hollow piston B is connected to a piston-rod B', which is mounted in the interior of the hollow pistonrod A2. This piston-rod B is connected to a collar E, (see Figs. l, 2, and 4,) which is mounted on the exterior of the piston-rod A2 by a Cotter-pin E', which is passed through said collar and rod 'Bf and also through slots A3 (see Fig. 4) in the rod A2. A spring E2 is placed between said collar E and an abutment E3 on the exterior of therod A2, and the action of this spring E2 serves to hold the end of the hollow piston B close up to the piston A, as shown in Fig. 2.

The piston A may be provided with one or more of the passages A', previously referred to, and said passages are fitted with non-return valves F so disposed as to allow the gases to pass from the upper to the lower side of said piston A, but check their return. The

hollow piston B is provided near its lower end with ports or openings G, which are closed by the walls of the main cylinder O until the piston reaches its extreme ylower position, (shown in Fig. 2,) where said ports register with channels H,formed in the wall of the cylinder at this point, so as to allow the gases contained between the pistons A and B to escape on the lower or ignition side of the piston B.

The suction-valve casing K for admitting the charge is, as shown in the drawings, placed in connection with the top of the cylinder, while the exhaust-valve casing J is in connection with the lower end, both being fitted with valves K J', respectively, as shown. These valves K J may be controlled by cams on the crank-shaft acting directly through rods K2 J2, which engage the valve-spindles and move them from their seats against the action of retaining-springs.

The ignition device or sparker M is situated at the lower end of the cylinder O, as shown.

rfhe action of the engine is as follows: On the down or in stroke the products of combustion are expelled from the lower or ignition side ofthe piston B through the exhaust-valve casing J, while afresh charge is simultaneously drawn into the cylinder above or on the compression side of the piston A through the suction-valve casing K, as shown in Fig. l. On the up or out stroke the charge drawn in above the piston A is compressed into the space between the said pistons A and B, the Huid-pressure overcoming the resistance of the spring F2, previously described, and foreing the piston B away from the piston A, as shown in Fig. 3, the charge being trapped in the space between them, which thus forms the compression-chamber. At the end of every instroke the charge compressed between the pistons A and B, as described, is delivered through the ports G, previously referred to, being expelled from between the pistons A and B by the action of the spring' into the cylinder-space below the piston B. As the charge escapes the piston B moves up to the piston A, so that they are touching again before the charge is ignited, as shown in Fig. 2, and both commence their outstroke together. Near the end of the outstroke the compression on the charge drawn in at K will overcome that of the spent charge, and while the piston A completes its outstroke, allowing the fresh charge topass through the passages A in the piston A, the piston B will be gradually stopped by the pressure of the charge passing through the piston A. ton A reaches the top of its stroke, practically the whole of the gas is thus trapped between A and B and is carried by the same down to the base of the cylinder, while at the same time a further charge of gas is being drawn in at K. rl`hus every time the piston travels downward the burned gases are expelled at J, a ready compressed charge is being carried down between the pistons A and B, and a fresh charge is being drawn in at K. On the upstroke explosion and compression occ ur simultaneously on different sides of the pistons. vWith this arrangement the charge is compressed at the cool end of the cylinder and then transferred in this state to the hotter end, so that the full advantage of the expansion caused by the different temperatures of the two ends of the cylinder is obtained.

If preferred, the movement of the piston B relatively to the piston A in order to alternately admit and discharge the charge from between them may instead of being controlled by spring-pressure opposed to the fluid-pressure of the charge be positively controlled by cam, link, tappet, or other suitable motion through the intermediary of the piston-rod B. The same result may be obtained by using pistons of equal diameter, both working in the main cylinder one in advance of the other Then the pisand compressing and transferring the charge into the space between them in the same manner as previously described.

lf preferred, air alone may be drawn in through the valve-casing K and compressed between the two pistons A and B. In this case the charge may be injected at H, so as to meet the compressed air delivered through one of the ports Gr.

that l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-a l. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder provided with an inlet at' one end and exhaust at the other, a main piston in said cylinder provided with a passage and valve, an auxiliary piston provided with ports situated between the main piston and the exhaust, a crank, and means for vconnecting said pistons to said crank; substantially as described.

2. In an internal-combustion engine` the combination of a cylinder provided with an inlet at one end and exhaust at the other, a main piston in said cylinder provided with a passage and valve, an auxiliary piston situated between the main piston and the exhaust provided with ports operating' in conjunction with passages in the wall of the cylinder, a crank to which the main piston is connected, and means for connecting' the auxiliary piston to the main piston so as to permit of the former moving relatively to the latter; substantially as described.

3. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder provided with an inlet at one end and exhaust at the other, an auxiliary piston working in the cylinder provided with a port operating in conjunction with a passage in the walls of the cylinder, a main piston working in the auxiliary piston between the latter and the inlet-opening provided with a passage and valve to admit the compressed charge between the two pistons, a crank to which the main piston is connected, and means for connecting the auxiliary piston to said crank so that it can move relatively to the main piston; substantially as described.

4. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder provided with an inlet at one end and exhaust at the other, an auxiliary piston in the cylinder provided with a port operating in conjunction with a passage in the cylinder, a main piston working within the auxiliary piston provided with a passage and valve, a crank to which the main. piston is connected, and a spring connection between the main and auxiliary pistons; substantially as described.

5. In an internal-combustion engine, thel combination of a cylinder provided with an inlet at one end and exhaust at the other, valves for controlling the same, a main piston provided with a passage and valve, an auxiliary piston situated between the main piston and IOO IIO

the exhaust provided with ports operating in to this speeieation in the presence of tWo suboonjunotion with passages 1n the Wall ot the seribing Witnesses. Cylinder, a crank to which the main piston is connected, and a spring' connection between VILLIAM ERNESL @LIB TGN' 5 the main and auxiliary pistons; substantially W'itnesses:

as described. J. B. JAMSON,

In testimony Whereo` I have signed my name THOS. H. COOK. 

